Dr. Marianne Marcus

1932 - 2022

Marianne Taft Marcus
1932-2022
Marianne Louise Taft Marcus passed away peacefully on January 16th, surrounded by family. She was born in Houston on October 25, 1932 to Robert Newell Taft and Helene Trumpold Taft. The family moved from Houston to Wichita Falls in the late 1930s, and then to New Haven, Connecticut in 1945, following the death of Marianne's father.
After undergraduate studies at Albertus Magnus College, Marianne earned a B.S.N. from Columbia University-Presbyterian Hospital in 1955. At a nursing school mixer in 1954, she met Dr. Donald Marcus, with whom she shared 64 years of marriage. From 1955 to 1958 she worked as a staff nurse and head nurse at Presbyterian Hospital. Between 1958 and 1959 she was a nursing instructor at Sibley Memorial Hospital Nursing School in Washington, D.C. After the birth of her first child in 1960, she devoted herself to family life. In 1963, the family moved to Scarsdale, New York, where Marianne hosted birthday and dinner parties, sewed clothing for her children and school plays, and served as a Girl Scout and Cub Scout leader.
As the children grew older, with encouragement from her husband, Marianne returned to nursing. To realize her goal of being a nurse educator, she earned an M.A. from Columbia University-Teachers College in 1976 and an M.Ed. from Columbia University in 1977. From 1975 to 1980, she taught nursing at Presbyterian Hospital, Herman H. Lehman College and Columbia University in New York City.
In 1980, the family moved to Houston, where Marianne joined the faculty of The University of Texas School of Nursing, now UTHealth Cizik School of Nursing. She earned her Ed.D. from the University of Houston in 1989. During her distinguished career, Marianne made many contributions to nursing research and education, including her ground-breaking work in establishing substance abuse and addiction as an important field of study in nursing. Marianne served on the board of the Cenikor Foundation for many years and was a member of the Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA), who remember Marianne a "pathfinder."
Her excellence and innovation in teaching, research and collaborative projects garnered much recognition, including federal research grants, election to The University of Texas Academy of Health Science Education, the Teachers College Nursing Education Alumni Association Hall of Fame, and as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She received the University of Texas Regents Outstanding Teaching Award, the John P. McGovern Award for Excellence in Medical Education (AMERSA), and the David C. Lewis, MD Service to AMERSA Award. The John P. McGovern Distinguished Professor of Addiction Nursing at the UTHealth Cizik School of Nursing was established in 1999 in support of her work. After retiring as Professor Emerita in 2014, Marianne moved in 2016 to Brazos Towers at Bayou Manor, where she and Donald have enjoyed being part of a vibrant retirement community.
A continuous thread in Marianne's life was her devotion to community service. Whether guiding her Girl Scout troop, conducting community-based research, or teaching mindfulness-based meditation at Brazos Towers, she strived to make life better for others. Marianne will be remembered and missed for her warmth, kindness, empathy, humility, generosity, and sense of humor and fun. Among her favorite things: her cats, watching birds in her backyard, night-blooming cereus blossoms, and classical music and Gene Autry songs. She enjoyed many international and national travel adventures, for work and leisure. Marianne often reflected, "I've had a wonderful life—wonderful marriage, wonderful family, and wonderful career."
Marianne was preceded in death by her parents; stepfather, William Tarr; brother, Lauran Harris; nephew Lauran Harris, Jr.; brother-in-law, Sven Ramklint. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Donald Marcus; children, Laura Marcus Green (Steve), Susan Marcus-Mendoza (Jorge), Jim Marcus (Mia de Saint Victor); grandchildren, Donald Mendoza (Jhoana); Kathryn Torres (Jon), grandchildren Sam Marcus and Lila Marcus; great-grandson, Lucas Mendoza; sister, Newell Taft Friedman; nephews Daniel Friedman (Gail Ablow) and Andrew Friedman (Claudia and Elisa D'Ambrosia); niece Patricia Ehrenzeller; and grand-niece Sophia Friedman.
The family are grateful to the staffs at the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and at CHI St. Luke's Health at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center; the Brazos Towers-Bayou Manor Health Care facility; and Vantage Hospice. A memorial will be held at a future date to honor Marianne's life. Read Marianne's full obituary at: http://www.josephjearthman.com/obituaries.
Donations may be made in Marianne's name to: AMERSA, 135 Lyndon Road, Cranston, RI 02905, or https://amersa.org/donate-to-amersa/; or to the Cenikor Foundation, Attn: Thomas Spiriti, 11931 Wickchester Lane, Houston, Texas 77043, or cenikor.org; or to the UTHealth Cizik School of Nursing, 7000 Fannin, Suite 1200, Houston, Texas 77030, https://giving.uth.edu/memorial.